


follow the formula

by summerdayghost



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Impulse (Comics), Robin (Comics), The Flash (Comics), Young Justice (Comics)
Genre: Fights, Kissing, M/M, Minor Injuries, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 14:57:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15888348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerdayghost/pseuds/summerdayghost
Summary: Tim thinks he has Bart all figured out.





	follow the formula

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for fail_fandomanon’s 100 words of poor impulse control. This is more than 100 words.

As spontaneous as Bart was, there was a formula to him. There was a pattern to his actions. It wasn’t a particularly hard one to figure out. Tim managed to nail it down within a couple of weeks.

What Tim had learned first was that there was no way to keep food safe from Bart’s appetite. He had tried putting a padlock on the fridge, only to find it entirely emptied within the hour. Bart apparently tried every possible combination until he found the right one. Said it took him about three seconds. Tim liked to believe it was more like three minutes.

He tried it again, this time using a key lock rather than a combination. He even kept the key in his underwear drawer back home. This time it was emptied within a half an hour. Bart said Gotham was the first place he checked.

The next time he was home for a considerable amount of time he noticed that he was missing a few pairs of underwear. He had heard from Dick that Wally had tendencies towards kleptomania, and he had to wonder if it was hereditary. Bart had been the last person he knew of to rummage around in there. It could also be a complete coincidence. He decided not to ask Bart about it.

Tim did not try to lock the fridge again. There was nothing to do but accept it. Bart was rather lucky Tim was independently wealthy. Otherwise he may have been booted from the team a while ago.

The other thing that ruled Bart was a heart that Tim wished he knew better than to leave exposed. Everything seemed to be processed as if it were the strongest feeling he had ever felt. Even the slightest emotion could send him springing into action without a moment’s hesitation.

It wasn’t all that wise to watch from the sidelines while Bart dealt with Inertia. They knew what Inertia was capable of. At the same time it wouldn’t have been very wise to step in before anything actually happened. They knew what Inertia was capable of.

“If I were the one to name you I would have gone with Worthless. It’s more fitting than Bartholomew Henry Allen the second,” Inertia had a grin that was too twisted for Tim to imagine Bart ever making even if the two were identical, “You are nothing compared to your grandfather… or anyone else for that matter.”

Bart didn’t say anything, he just pursed his lips. Inertia had said things exactly like that to him before and would probably continue to say such things until the sun went out. Tim knew this from the few times Bart had babbled about it over late night ice cream. He had gone to quickly for Tim to fully comprehend it, but he at least got the gist.

He suddenly got the horrible mental image of Inertia trash talking Bart’s corpse in exactly the same way. Tim shook his head. It wasn’t the time to think of things like that. The time to think of things like that was never.

“It’s tragic in some weird way, that I’m the only one that truly cares about you, Worthless,” he spoke as if this were a mundane statement of common knowledge like the sky being blue or that two plus two equals four, “I’m the one that loves you the most.”

Bart was more still than Tim realized he was capable of being, “Thad…”

Inertia laughed, “I mean with the family you have in this century, it isn’t much of a contest. If you think the Garricks see as anything other than replaceable then you’re a fool. Wally West so clearly despises you. He would be so relieved if you were to die. I’ve haven’t even gotten to that stupid, obnoxious bunch you call fri-”

Bart leaped at Inertia tackling him to the ground. Or least Tim assumed that was the result of that action. He couldn’t actually see the physical fight. They went to fast for his eyes to understand.

Before Tim knew it Inertia was gone. Inertia was gone and Bart was on the ground wincing. He was holding his ankle. It was probably broken.

Tim rushed to his side. Given everything Tim knew about Bart he should not have been surprised when Bart grabbed his face and pulled him in for a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
